When Malta’s Individual Investment Programme was first announced and was greeted with outrage in many European quarters, several politicians and pundits across Europe highlighted the analogy that while Malta turns away impoverished irregular African migrants intending to seek asylum it welcomes other migrants who can pay for Maltese passports.
Now Henley & Partners, the purveyors of Malta’s IIP programme appears to have come up with a way of circumventing the ethical dilemma, by announcing an “innovative partnership with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)” through which it will donate more than USD1 million to help the global refugee cause.
Henley & Partners this week announced the creation of an innovative partnership with the UN Refugee Agency to join forces in support of those at the other end of the spectrum of global mobility. Through a multi-year partnership Henley & Partners will support UNHCR's global refugee registration activities with a contribution of over USD1 million and further advocate and assist UNHCR's resource mobilisation efforts in the interests of its people of concern.
"We work at the forefront of this sector and are in a unique position to advocate and facilitate Global Citizenship," said Christian H. Kalin, the Chairman of Henley & Partners i9n a statement. "It is only natural for us to acknowledge the plight of millions of uprooted families who flee each day the horror of war and conflict to look for international protection in other countries, and to join our forces with UNHCR".
Henley & Partners' support, the company said, will be primarily focused on funding refugee registration and identification documents. UNHCR's Registration Program is in fact the starting point for all humanitarian assistance. Proper registration and documentation are key to allowing a refugee to access services, aid or protection under the law. Registration is also fundamental to identify those refugees who are most in need, such as female headed households, separated children and people with disabilities, and provide them with appropriate protection. UNHCR registration often provides the only form of documentation for these people.
“Sadly, this step is too generally perceived as an administrative process rather than as the gateway to protection and services in other countries, and rarely attracts donor funding,” Henley explained.
Beyond financial support, Henley & Partners said it will also integrate advocacy actions for refugees in its corporate social responsibility program by organizing fundraising events and engaging its co-workers, partners and clients to help uprooted people around the world.
A dedicated fundraising dinner for UNHCR will also be organized on 3 November 2015 in Dubai on the occasion of the Global Citizen Award launch at the Henley & Partners 9th Global Residence & Citizenship Conference, the world's leading event of its kind.
The UNHCR Deputy High Commissioner, Alexander Aleinikoff, is expected to attend the Henley & Partners Forum in Zurich, Switzerland in May 2015, which will be the first of a long calendar of joint global activities to raise awareness about refugee challenges and solutions.
This will, in fact, also be Prime Minister Joseph Muscat’s next stop in his international road show promoting Malta’s citizenship programme.